October 2015

October 27, 2015

Visiting a university or college can be intimidating. Fridays@DU provide prospective students a great space to explore the University of Denver’s campus with whomever they choose, ask questions of current DU students, go on a tour and so much more! This year Fridays@DU has started out very successfully and a new picture contest has been popular among the visiting students. We hope that they continue to be successful and help students in making one of the most important choices in their lives.

Fridays@DU start out with an information session led by one of our amazing admission counselors, followed by a student panel. The student panels are composed of students from a variety of different backgrounds, majors, and minors, and they are involved in many activities on campus. They are a very important part of Fridays@DU because they are able to answer all the questions prospective students might have about the ins and outs of college life.

Here is one of the winners of our photo challenge! By using the hashtag #DUthis, students and their families can upload pictures on social media and can win cool DU swag. One can never have too many college t-shirts!

As you can tell, Fridays@DU are a great way to get to know the University of Denver - when you’re thinking about which of the many visits to take advantage of, think of Fridays@DU. You won’t know if you’ll like a certain campus until you visit it!

Panorama of the Ritchie Center, lacrosse field, and Centennial Halls. The weather held up very nicely... we can’t wait for our next Friday@DU!

October 13, 2015

As I approach the dreaded week 5 of my senior year’s fall quarter (otherwise known as midterm week) I can’t help but think back to what life was like this time three years ago. I was a freshman at DU, and just getting used to the college lifestyle. I think back to how proud I was to have traveled across the country to attend an institution as wonderful as the University of Denver, how excited I was to be meeting new people and exploring new places, and how at home I felt even after only living here for one short month. But thinking back to three years ago also makes me realize how much I have grown and progressed as a student and person because of the education and environment that DU has provided for me.

Here in the admission office, my job is to go around and capture DU through a student’s eye; and I happen to do that through the lens of a camera. Having just started this position at the beginning of this year, I have only just begun to delve into this world of showcasing students’ experiences other than my own; and I must say it has made me realize the incredible amount of Pioneer pride that exists on this campus. While I have always felt incredibly comfortable here, it has been amazing to be able to speak to other students and hear their stories to understand why this university has become their home.

I think what I am most surprised by is how students seem to have an instant prideful reaction when I speak to them. One such example was just a week ago, when I showed up at the annual hockey campout that occurs every year where students camp overnight, mostly without sleep, just to reserve a spot in line to get season tickets. I arrived at about 7:00 a.m., very groggy and hardly awake. But nevertheless, every single student whom I asked to show some school spirit got up in the face of my camera and had no qualms about screaming “Go Pios” without hesitation. It was a blast seeing how my peers’ faces lit up when supporting DU.

Talking to so many new students, and meeting all of you prospective students, brings me a great sense of nostalgia as I enter my senior year. Nostalgia in the sense that I look back on my experiences here just as prideful to be a Pioneer as these students; just as they begin to learn what it means to be a member of DU’s community. Becoming a Pioneer has meant so much more than the classes I’ve taken or the people I’ve met; I've discovered a true sense of myself and have had opportunities that have made all the difference in my life. While, yes, I have been reflecting on my time here, this nostalgia has mostly made me realize my excitement for all of the future Pios to partake in our culture here, especially after discovering this massive amount of school spirit just in this past week. I think it is fair to say that here we all bleed crimson and gold!

October 06, 2015

I’m going on nine years at DU (hard to believe!), and I’m consistently amazed at how much this campus has changed, grown, and developed since I first arrived in 2007. We’ve built new academic buildings and residence halls, completely renovated the library, and added stadium seats and new sports fields. This campus was stunning when I first showed up, but each new addition adds to the magic and regality found at the University of Denver.

I’ve been in and out of the office for the past month or so (mostly out) due to fall recruitment travel, and upon my arrival back on campus I’ve been absolutely amazed at the progress made on our two newest buildings: the Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering & Computer Science, and the Anna & John J. Sie International Relations Complex. Both buildings have been created to offer additional collaboration space for both students and faculty, offering dynamic spaces for inquiry and involvement. The University of Denver has been incredibly strategic about each new building on campus, keeping the student experience and academic environment as the main driver behind each change and addition.

Though we won’t be able to enjoy these two new buildings until the winter/spring of 2016, I invite you to take a look at their progress through the webcams on our construction updates website. In the meantime, the sketches of the final products are pictured below. I don’t know about you, but I am so excited to take advantage of these beautiful new facilities!